This week’s writing prompt is inspired by a double dollop of fangirling. I love Kim Gordon. I love her far more than I love Sonic Youth (which is vaguely blasphemous as an indie fan of a certain age). But even though I could never be won over by the noise, there was no denying Kim was the coolest, smartest, most badass girl in the world. She was not manufactured, she was not decoration. She shredded. And she wasn’t afraid to wear a miniskirt while doing it.

So imagine how my fangirl heart skipped a beat when I saw this essay about Kim Gordon by Elissa Schappell, who may very well be the coolest, smartest, most badass lit lady in the world. (If you don’t know who she is, for shame! And read this).

I love how Elissa tackles the tricky issue of writing about someone or something you love too much to be impartial. How do you approach the subject that turns you all gooey and inarticulate? The one that makes you want to mumble, while looking earnestly at you toes, “I love you so much. I’m such a big fan.”

Your assignment this week is to dive into that gooey abyss. Write a profile of your longest standing infatuation. Who or what did you love when you were younger that you still love now? You all immediately thought of something terribly embarrassing. Don’t pretend you didn’t. That’s your subject. Try to tackle this honestly. Don’t feign impartiality; don’t try to be cool. What did Doctor Who mean to you? How did Madonna transform your preteen, suburban world?